







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| You don’t look like an English teacher to me. | |
| Come on, Mike, it's not about me being home. | |
| I don't want to live in the suburbs! | |
| Sorry, they don't serve chips here... | |
| Hey Mike, you look so worried! | |
| Hey, we are back. | |
| And he looks about 3 years old now. | |
| That's why they're 50% off. | |
| It sounds like a good deal. | |
| Does that help you to believe me? | |
| It's all about my lovely little cat, Pogo. | |
| My dad is British and my mum is Australian. | |
| Yeah, I want to see the bathroom... | |
| Can you stop acting like I always ask for money? | |
| Umm... We are married... I mean, today is our wedding anniversary! | |
| I hope your friends don't mind. | |
| Thank you, I'm 26. | |
| What's the time, are we early? | |
| He only does it when he is extremely stressed! | |
| Are you close friends? | |